We second home­owners have suffered a great loss. After paying flood “insurance,” which we learned never had any intention of covering the necessary cost to rebuild, and paying taxes just as primary home­owners do, we are saddled with either losing our homes or borrowing $100,000 to repair and raise.

Yes, we are the bread and butter of the Jersey Shore. We spend our money there and require fewer services. Thank you for finally telling our story. Our wish is that the powers that be would really listen. We are not looking for handouts, just for “flood insurance” to pay what is needed.

Michele Fleitell, Nutley

Kristallnacht, Egyptian-style

Virtually every time the Koran is wrongly desecrated, riots ensue in the Muslim world. If the U.S. military is involved, public apologies are offered by our highest elected officials.

When other faiths are targeted, however, the silence is deafening. When Israelis withdrew from Gaza in 2005 and all the synagogues were burned by Gazans, where was the outrage?

Turning to Egypt, more than 57 churches were burned by Islamists aligned with the Muslim Brotherhood, with many Christians killed. Where is the public outrage from the president? Where are the calls for public protests by Christian and moderate Muslims leaders?

A lesson to be gleaned from the disaster unfolding in Egypt is that premature elections may result in the last free elections held. This happened with Hamas in Gaza and with the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt.

Equally important, a culture of tolerance must be cultivated, particularly for the 14 million Coptic Christians, secularists and Muslim minorities. Jews left decades ago. This will take time, and patience is in short commodity in the political maelstrom that is Egypt and the West.

I am writing as a concerned citizen, a voter and as the leader of UNITE HERE Local 54 on behalf of thousands of our members who live, work and pay taxes in New Jersey.

It is important our elected officials understand our feelings toward the Affordable Care Act. We are strong supporters of affordable health care for all Americans. Sadly, the promise made to us is under threat. Unintended consequences of the ACA are poised to not only shatter our hard-earned health care benefits, but destroy the foundation of the 40-hour work week.

There are common-sense corrections that can be made to allow our members to keep their health care plans and benefits, just as Congress and the president pledged. Unless changes are made, however, that promise is hollow.

As we close in on Labor Day, it is important to remember the hardworking people who form the backbone of our economy — and who rely on their health care coverage to keep their families safe and secure.

The government needs to make changes to the ACA so that it works for everyone.

C. Robert McDevitt, Atlantic City

Unfair to Chiesa

The Star-Ledger article criticizing Sen. Jeff Chiesa’s attendance record in Congress (“Gov’s pick misses votes in Senate,” Aug. 19) gratuitously smears the senator by labeling him a “place­holder” and suggesting he’s uninterested in his role as a public servant.

That implication is unfair and simply false. More than a decade ago, Chiesa left a successful law practice to serve the people of this state — first as a federal prosecutor, then as counsel to the governor and, most recently, as attorney general.

Called again after the sudden death of Sen. Frank Lautenberg, he uprooted career and family to go to Washington. A testament to Chiesa’s well-known personal modesty was his immediate announcement that he would not run to keep the seat.

The article ignored Chiesa’s accomplishments during his short time in the Senate. He has worked with members of both parties, particularly devoting himself to the fight against human trafficking. He voted independently, joining Republicans in demanding more fiscal responsibility while voting with Democrats to reform immigration policy.

We need more public servants like him.

Eric H. Jaso, Morristown (the author worked with Chiesa as an assistant U.S. attorney)

Asbury Park unwelcoming

On Aug. 16, my wife and I headed to Asbury Park to see a friend’s show at McLoone’s. When we arrived and found a place to park, I was shocked to see it would cost me $6 to park from 6:50 p.m. until midnight.

Walking along the boardwalk, we noticed that all of the restaurants were pretty empty, except for the ones catering to the club scene. As we drove south on Route 71, we were greeted by a police DUI/credentials checkpoint. Not only were all drivers presumed guilty until proved innocent, but the police were even pulling over taxis and checking the drivers’ identification.

Hmm, outrageous parking fees, a less-than-safe town off the boardwalk and police roadblocks. Is it any wonder the town was half-empty on a Friday night in August? As for us, we won’t be back; we’ll take our money to a friendlier Shore town and leave Asbury to the kids and the clubs they populate.